Have you ever watched The Next Generation and thought that a scene showed exactly how things will work in the future? Or have you ever watched The Next Generation and wondered what the writers were thinking when they wrote a certain element into the script?

In this episode of Earl Grey, hosts Richard Marquez, Justin Oser, and Amy Nelson choose their top 3 picks for both realistic and unrealistic elements in The Next Generation. Their choices include technology, ideas, relationships, Federation policy, and more.

Every season of The Next Generation has episodes that get overlooked or ignored. Well, not here and not today! Most fans will quickly identify "Darmok", "Cause and Effect", and "The Inner Light" as being their favorite episodes from season five. So, if we set those episodes aside, which other episodes should we celebrate and recognize from this season?

In this episode of Earl Grey, hosts Amy Nelson, Richard Marquez, and Justin Oser list their three unsung episodes from season five. Each host puts up a good defense on why their chosen episodes should be among the fan favorites or at least viewed with a fresh perspective devoid of preconceived perceptions.

Unsung Episodes is a series that will continue through 2017 highlighting each season in honor of the thirty-year anniversary of TNG.

For the past 16 years, thousands of fans have converged on Las Vegas every summer to see Star Trek actors and creatives, meet other fans, and celebrate what they love about the franchise. This is the largest Star Trek convention in the United States and is eagerly anticipated year after year.

In this episode of Earl Grey, hosts Amy Nelson and Justin Oser are joined by Bruce Gibson of Literary Treks to talk about their experiences at this year’s gathering. The discussion includes panels, exhibits, cosplay, musical performances, and general impressions, with special emphasis on the celebration of The Next Generation’s 30th anniversary!

One of the most influential figures in 24th century Star Trek, Joe Menosky wrote or co-wrote 67 episodes of The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager, including a number of fan favorites. Menosky was also a producer on Season 5 of The Next Generation and Seasons 3-6 of Voyager. He is currently a writer on the newest Star Trek series, Discovery.

In this episode of Earl Grey, hosts Justin Oser, Richard Marquez, and Amy Nelson each pick their three favorite Joe Mensoky episodes. The hosts also discuss what our review of Menosky's episodes may reveal about his approach to writing Discovery.

Gene Roddenberry held a special screening of Aliens with his staff to show a different sci-fi that was currently being released. The effects of that viewing can be seen in the character of chief security officer Tasha Yar. Even though Yar only appeared in season one of The Next Generation, her presence is felt throughout the series. Her character was strong and impulsive as we would expect the head of security to be.

In this episode of Earl Grey, hosts Lee Hutchison, Richard Marquez, and Amy Nelson are joined with Justin Oser to compare TNG's Tasha Yar with Aliens' Vasquez. The similarities are striking as they both are very strong, confident, and loyal characters. Yet the differences are also notable from their layers of femininity to their degrees of obedience.

Lee will also pass the baton to Justin Oser as he steps down as co-host and invites Justin to a weekly cup of tea.